It wasn't the first time that Sail has scored from more than 30 yards.
Don Bosco High School (Matunga) got their campaign in the MSSA U-16 Division I tournament up and running in a fashion that is somewhat synonymous to them. The boys from Matunga thrashed the newly-promoted Hiranandani Foundation (Powai) 8-0 at the MSSA Grounds, Azad Maidan, on Tuesday.
Heavy rain that lashed the city early in the morning left the ground water-logged and delayed the match by an hour, but Don Bosco didn't let it affect their quest of giving the team from Powai a taste of first division football.
And, it took them just 47 seconds to open the scoring — one of the fastest goals ever scored in this tournament, according to MSSA officials.
Don Bosco went on the offensive straightaway. Midfielder Shreyas Sail saw the goalkeeper not fall in his line and decided to lob over him from about 30 yards. The arc was pinpoint accurate that the goalkeeper did not stand a chance.
From then on, there was no looking back for Don Bosco. They kept applying pressure on the hapless Hiranandani defense and their skipper, Clivert Millar, doubled the lead in the fourth minute.
"Getting a goal early in any match is very important. And I knew that after I scored the opening goal, we were going to win by a huge margin. Scoring in the first minute charged us up and I think it was instrumental in us getting such an excellent result," said the 15-year-old Sail.
It wasn't the first time that Sail has scored from more than 30 yards. In the final of the Ahmed Sailor Cup last year against St Dominic Savio (Andheri), Sail's goal from 35 yards made the difference for his team.
Does he practice these long-range shots regularly? "Since I'm a midfielder, we are asked to perfect aerial through balls. Therefore, I can pick my spot easily. So, when a goalkeeper comes off his line, and I have the ball, I'm going to go for the goal," said the Cristiano Ronaldo fan.
Sail owed his success on the field to his father and said he's inherited footballing genes from him. "My dad used to play for Maharashtra State Police (MSP) and the Mumbai University. He is now the manager of the MSP team. It is because of his support that I've come this far. He's present for all my games and advises the team on how to play. All of us listen to him intently," said Sail, who has represented Maharashtra U-15.
Don Bosco coach Leslie Machado was delighted with the result but said his boys shouldn't get ahead of themselves. "To start win a win, and that too in such a way, is always good for a team. It serves as a warning for the other sides and straightaway makes us title contenders. But I only hope that the team doesn't become overconfident and take the remaining games lightly."
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